For the Empire - Inganno

Chapter 38

STELLA/CHARMAINE 

(earlier in the day)

Everyone is quiet at breakfast the following day. I apologize guiltily for waking everyone up in the middle of the night, but everyone tells me not to worry about it.

Annalisa and I decide to go to the beach afterward, but when she sees me in the suit I brought, she looks back at me with a look of horror on her face.

It's a one-piece, black swimsuit that doesn't fit as well on me as I remember.

Granted, I've lost some weight from my lack of eating and zero appetite, and it now hangs loose and awkward on me. But, in her opinion, it's "horrendous."

Annalisa shakes her head, "There's no way you're wearing that in public. Nope." She shakes her head even more vigorously. "It's my duty as a best friend to save you from being a fashion kamikaze."

I laugh at her over-the-top explanation, but I realize she's right the more I look at myself in the mirror.

So we head to the mall to shop for a new swimming suit. I choose a couple of sporty swimsuits with halter-style tops to try on, but Annalisa insists I try on some bikinis, too.

I finally decide on a mint-colored bikini instead of the hot pink one she wants me to get. I might as well be wearing a flashing neon sign that says, "Look at me! Look at me!" if I choose that one.

We also stop at Victoria's Secret store; they have a panty sale going on.

"Come on; it would be a sin not to take advantage of all this!" Annalisa exclaims as she pulls me into the store with her. Tobias tells us he'll wait outside while we shop, and I chuckle, seeing his slightly pink face as he walks out of the store.

As we peruse the racks, Annalisa informs me that I need to expand my style of underwear. Being a bit of a tomboy, I tend to wear more of the boyshorts style.

"At least add some lace cheeky style bottoms; that's a step up from what you wear, now, Char." She advises.

I'm not willing to switch to thongs; maybe it's just me, but wearing thongs, feels like I have a constant wedgie; yeah, no thanks. Annalisa says you get used to it, which I just laughed at the thought of that.

She throws in some lingerie that I'll never wear in my stack, but I figure it wouldn't hurt to get. JP's face comes to mind, but then I shake my head; that'll probably never happen.

When we finally get back to the beach house, Vince tells us a few neighbors are having a party with beach games and a bonfire later tonight. He also mentions he invited a few of his friends to come over.

Shortly after we arrive, he leaves to buy some alcohol for the party; because each neighbor will bring something to the bonfire.

I need to do something instead of just watching the clock as time ticks slowly by so, I sift through the pantry in the house and decide to make snickerdoodle cookies and brownies to pass up the time, and I figure we can bring them to the party as well.

As the time for the party begins to draw nearer, I'm pulling out the last set of cookies from the oven, and Annalisa walks into the living room wearing one of her new suits.

It's a bright red color, and she wears a pale cream sarong around her waist. She grabs a brownie, "Sweet, just in time for me to test one of these, you know, gotta make sure they're party-worthy."

I roll my eyes, chuckling, and decide to change into the bikini I got today, but I opt to wear my basketball shorts and put on a light jacket over it, leaving it unzipped; I'm not used to showing so much skin.